Turkey Bowl Team Names

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday for family, food, football, and discovering that Uncle Bob still thinks he’s a Division I quarterback.

And nothing makes a backyard Thanksgiving football game more memorable than a great Turkey Bowl team name.

Whether your family plays a highly competitive game of touch football or something resembling organized chaos in winter coats, the right name adds a little personality to the proceedings.

We’ve rounded up 125 funny Turkey Bowl team names for every variety of Thanksgiving athlete, from serious competitors to cousins who consider jogging an unreasonable holiday request.

Grab a football, loosen your belt, and prepare for the most important competition of the day. Well, second-most important. Somebody still has to win the last piece of pumpkin pie.

10 Best Turkey Bowl Team Names

Need a winning name before the relatives arrive? These are our first-round draft picks.

• Fourth and Gravy — A Thanksgiving classic, especially when everyone is stuffed.
• The Butterball Blitz — An intimidating name for a team that may not be especially intimidating.
• The Wishbone Warriors — Perfect for a family that’s serious about winning.
• Fowl Play — Short, clever, and practically begging for a penalty flag.
• The Mashed Potato Maulers — Dominating opponents, one carbohydrate at a time.
• The Personal Fowlers — For players who occasionally forget this is touch football.
• The Elastic Waistband Warriors — Built for comfort, not necessarily speed.
• The Turkey Bowl Terrors — A little swagger never hurt anybody.
• The Stuffing Sackers — Great for a defense that’s hungry for quarterbacks.
• The Leftover Legends — Because champions deserve a second helping.

Those are only the appetizers. We’ve got 115 more names on the menu.

25 Funny Turkey Bowl Team Names

These names are for teams that appreciate a well-executed joke nearly as much as a well-executed touchdown.

• Fourth and Gravy
• The Butterball Blitz
• Fowl Play
• Gobble Trouble
• No Punt Intended
• The Turkeys of Turnover
• The Gravy Train
• The Cranberry Crushers
• The Feast Mode Fumblers
• The End Zone Entrees
• The Gobble Gobble Gang
• The Stuffing Shufflers
• The Two-Hand Touchdowns
• Illegal Use of Yams
• The Personal Fowlers
• The Wishbone Option
• Poultry in Motion
• The Touchdown Turducken
• Offsides of Mashed Potatoes
• The Third-and-Long Johns
• The Thanksgiving Day Dreamers
• First Down and Out
• Snap, Crackle & Gobble
• The Turkeys With Turf Toe
• Unnecessary Roughage

Our favorite: Illegal Use of Yams. It’s the sort of penalty that deserves a 15-yard punishment and a stern lecture from Grandma.

25 Family-Friendly Turkey Bowl Team Names

Not every Thanksgiving game needs the intensity of an NFL playoff. Sometimes it’s enough to get three generations onto the same field without somebody asking where the remote went.

These names work especially well for parents, grandparents, teenagers, and young players.

• The Wishbone Warriors
• The Backyard All-Stars
• The Cousin Connection
• The Grateful Gridders
• The Turkey Day Titans
• The Pumpkin Patch Passers
• The Little Drumsticks
• The Family First-Downs
• The Golden Gobblers
• The Huddle Buddies
• The Friendly Fowl
• The Thanksgiving Trailblazers
• The November Ninjas
• The Mini Marshmallows
• The Turkey Trotters
• The Cozy Cleats
• The Touchdown Tribe
• The Pie-Eyed Rookies
• The Leaf Pile Legends
• The Thursday Thrillers
• The Gravy Boat Crew
• The Gobble Squad
• The Family Huddle
• The Backyard Blitzers
• The Holiday Hail Marys

Our favorite: The Cousin Connection. Particularly appropriate when the youngest cousins spend the entire game plotting against the adults.

Take a deep dive into our Trivia Contest on Thanksgiving Football.

25 Food-Inspired Turkey Bowl Team Names

Thanksgiving offers more opportunities for food-related football puns than any other holiday. This is largely because nobody has figured out how to run a flea-flicker around a Valentine’s Day chocolate assortment.

• The Mashed Potato Maulers
• The Sweet Potato Sweep
• The Cranberry Contenders
• The Stuffing Sackers
• The Pumpkin Pie Playmakers
• The Green Bean Machines
• The Mac-and-Cheese Monsters
• The Dinner Roll Runners
• The Cornbread Crushers
• The Biscuit Blitz
• The Turkey Leg Tacklers
• The Gravy Boat Raiders
• The Pecan Pie Punters
• The Apple Cider Sliders
• The Leftover Legends
• The Hot Dish Hit Squad
• The Yam Jam
• The Giblet Gang
• The Buttered Biscuits
• The Deviled Egg Defenders
• The Brussels Sprout Bruisers
• The Marshmallow Mashers
• The Table Scrap Titans
• The Pumpkin Spice Blitz
• The Second Helping Squad

Our favorite: The Green Bean Machines. Sounds like a championship-caliber team, even if it hasn’t been anybody’s favorite Thanksgiving side dish since 1978.

25 Competitive Turkey Bowl Team Names

Every family has at least one relative who shows up with cleats, a wristband full of plays, and the mistaken belief that professional scouts might be watching.

These are the Turkey Bowl names for that person.

• The End Zone Invaders
• The Goal-Line Gobblers
• The Fourth-Down Finishers
• The Red Zone Roasters
• The Turkey Bowl Terrors
• The Sacksgiving Specialists
• The No-Mercy November Crew
• The Thursday Thunder
• The First-Down Force
• The Hail Mary Hunters
• Blitz Before Biscuits
• The Gridiron Grinders
• The Wattle Warriors
• The Cold Front Crushers
• The Two-Minute Turkeys
• The Trophy Table Terrors
• The Wishbone Wrecking Crew
• The Turkey Day Tacklers
• The Pass Rush Pluckers
• The Frozen Turf Force
• The Mud Bowl Maulers
• The Sideline Stampede
• The Flag-Pull Phantoms
• The Fourth-Quarter Feast
• The Backyard Dynasty

Our favorite: The Sacksgiving Specialists. A team name capable of making a quarterback nervous and a grandfather roll his eyes.

25 Ridiculous Turkey Bowl Team Names

Some team names are meant to inspire respect. Others are meant to make the family laugh so hard that somebody drops the football.

These belong firmly in the second category.

• The Gobble Gobble Goofoffs
• The Gravy-Stained Gladiators
• The Uncoordinated Cranberries
• The Hamstring Hams
• The Elastic Waistband Warriors
• The Wobbling Wishbones
• The Puntkin Spice Lattes
• The Tryptophan Titans
• The Soggy Stuffing Society
• The Couch-to-End-Zone Club
• The Fumblebee Turkeys
• The Moist Turkey Defense
• The Leftover Tupperware Terrors
• The Waddle-I-Do-Now Crew
• The Giblet Gremlins
• The Deep-Fried Dive Bombers
• The Touchdown Tater Tots
• The Interception Inspection Committee
• The Cranberry Sauce Bosses
• The Underinflated Dinner Rolls
• The Pants-Button Poppers
• The Halftime Nap Enthusiasts
• The Stretchy Pants All-Stars
• The Post-Pie Punt Team
• The Great Gravy Spill

Our favorite: The Interception Inspection Committee. For the relatives who insist on reviewing every disputed catch, even though the nearest replay camera is Grandma’s phone.

How to Organize a Thanksgiving Turkey Bowl

There’s a fine line between a beloved family tradition and an event people mysteriously develop injuries to avoid.

A few sensible rules can keep your Turkey Bowl firmly in the first category.

Choose the Right Field

A backyard, neighborhood park, or level grassy area is ideal. Check for holes, slippery patches, and anything else that could turn a simple touchdown celebration into an emergency room visit.

Keep the playing area reasonably small. Nobody wants to run a 70-yard route before eating 4,000 calories.

Make the Teams Fair

Divide players by ability rather than age alone. A couple of athletic teenagers can easily outweigh the competitive advantage of three uncles with extensive opinions about NFL coaching.

Five-on-five or seven-on-seven football often works well, but smaller games can be just as entertaining.

Consider letting kids choose the team names. They tend to be more imaginative than adults, and considerably less concerned about trademark infringement.

Keep the Rules Simple

For most family games, touch or flag football is a better choice than tackling.

A few suggestions:

• Use two-hand touch or flag pulls instead of tackling.
• Play two 10- to 15-minute halves.
• Establish clear sidelines and end zones.
• Allow a first down after crossing midfield.
• Use a five-second rush count if the game has no dedicated blockers.
• Rotate quarterbacks to give more players a chance.
• Have an adult referee who isn’t related to half the players. Good luck with that last one.

For more advice, check out our guide to seven winning tips for backyard touch football.

Make the Game About More Than Winning

Include younger kids with age-appropriate opportunities to participate. You might award bonus recognition for a first touchdown, an amazing catch, or the best touchdown celebration.

And remember: It’s a Thanksgiving tradition, not a college scholarship tryout.

Explore our Funny Football Captions and Hashtags.

Printable Turkey Bowl Team-Name Signs

A surprisingly fun addition to any Thanksgiving Turkey Bowl is giving each team its own sign.

You don’t need professional graphic design software or an NFL equipment manager. A home printer, construction paper, and a couple of markers will do just fine.

Three Easy Sign Ideas

The Official Team Sign

Use a large, bold team name with a football graphic and a simple tagline.

Example:

FOURTH AND GRAVY

We Came. We Saw. And We Ate.

The Locker Room Sign

Have each team create a sign for its sideline or designated bench.

Example:

THE BUTTERBALL BLITZ

Undefeated Until Proven Otherwise.

The Championship Poster

Before the game begins, make a poster with the two competing team names and space to record the final score.

Example:

THE ANNUAL FAMILY TURKEY BOWL

The Wishbone Warriors vs. The Stuffing Sackers

Date: Thanksgiving Day

Final Score: __________

Turkey Bowl Champions: __________

If you want to go the extra mile, print signs on heavy paper, laminate them, and bring them back every Thanksgiving.

Before long, you’ll have a family football archive rivaling the Pro Football Hall of Fame, minus the bronze busts.

10 Funny Turkey Bowl Trophies and Awards

Every Turkey Bowl needs a championship trophy. Preferably something that costs less than the pumpkin pie.

Here are some ideas to create awards that might become family heirlooms. Or at least survive until Christmas.

• The Golden Drumstick: Spray-paint a plastic turkey drumstick gold and mount it on a wooden base. Award it to the winning team.
• The Gravy Boat Trophy: Find an inexpensive gravy boat at a thrift store and attach a championship label.
• The Butterball MVP: Award a small toy turkey to the player who makes the biggest difference.
• The Wishbone Warrior Award: Recognize the toughest competitor with a decorative wishbone trophy.
• The Most Valuable Gobbler: Honor the player who contributes the most enthusiasm, regardless of actual football ability.
• The Fumble Fingers Award: Present this questionable honor to the player with the most memorable dropped pass.
• The Best Excuse Award: For the relative who blames a missed tackle on the wind, the turf, or an old high school injury.
• The Golden Couch Award: Recognize the player who would most clearly have preferred to stay inside to watch football.
• The Turkey Trot Award: Celebrate the best touchdown dance of the afternoon.
• The Leftovers Trophy: Give the losing team a foil-covered container of leftovers labeled “Better Luck Next Year.”

An annual traveling trophy is especially fun. Have the champions keep it until the following Thanksgiving, when they must bring it back and defend their title.

Just don’t let anyone take the family gravy boat home without permission.

Make Your Turkey Bowl an Annual Family Tradition

The real magic of a Turkey Bowl isn’t the final score. It’s watching the same relatives return year after year, a little older, occasionally a little slower, but absolutely certain they’re still capable of making that spectacular catch from 2014.

Here are a few traditions worth adding.

• Take an annual team photo. Over time, the pictures become a terrific family keepsake.
• Keep a record book. Track winning teams, MVPs, final scores, and particularly outrageous plays.
• Let the kids announce the game. Their commentary is likely to be more entertaining than the actual football.
• Create a Turkey Bowl Hall of Fame. Honor a new family legend each year.
• Introduce a championship ceremony. Present the trophy while everyone is gathered for Thanksgiving dinner.

A word of caution about record books: There’s always one relative who remembers a controversial touchdown differently.

That argument may continue for decades.

Turkey Bowl Team Names: Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Turkey Bowl?

A Turkey Bowl is an informal football game traditionally played on or around Thanksgiving. Many families, neighborhoods, churches, and groups of friends have made the games annual traditions.

Most are played as touch or flag football, although the level of competition varies considerably.

When should you play a Turkey Bowl?

Thanksgiving morning is a popular choice because it leaves the afternoon open for cooking, eating, and watching NFL football.

Others prefer the day after Thanksgiving, when leftovers provide a powerful incentive to get moving.

How many people do you need for a Turkey Bowl?

You can have fun with as few as four players, although teams of five to seven often make for a lively game.

For large families, consider rotating substitutes or organizing a small tournament.

What makes a good Turkey Bowl team name?

The best names are short, memorable, easy to pronounce, and connected to football, Thanksgiving, or a family inside joke.

Food puns are especially popular because Thanksgiving offers an almost unlimited supply of material.

What are good Turkey Bowl names for kids?

The Little Drumsticks, The Gobble Squad, The Backyard All-Stars, The Mini Marshmallows, and The Turkey Trotters are playful choices for younger teams.

Letting children invent or vote on names is also an easy way to involve them in the tradition.

Do you need a trophy for a Turkey Bowl?

Absolutely not. But a silly homemade trophy can turn an ordinary backyard football game into something everyone looks forward to each year.

It doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, the more ridiculous the trophy, the better the stories tend to become.

Final Thoughts: Pass the Football, Then Pass the Gravy

The best Turkey Bowl team names do more than identify who’s on which side. They give the game personality, generate a few laughs, and create traditions that stick around.

Maybe your family will embrace the intimidating Butterball Blitz. Maybe Fourth and Gravy will become an annual powerhouse. Or perhaps the Elastic Waistband Warriors will finally win the championship they’ve been talking about since 2009.

Whatever name you choose, enjoy the game, include everyone, and remember that the real prize is getting the family together.

Although, between us, winning the Golden Drumstick wouldn’t hurt.

By Mike O’Halloran

Founder and Editor, Sports Feel Good Stories

Mike O’Halloran founded Sports Feel Good Stories in 2009. He has authored three books on sports jokes, co-authored four trivia books, and authored three books on basketball coaching. Mike has also written a book on sports slogans and captions. He coached youth basketball for 15 seasons, taught tennis, and was a contributing writer for USA Football, the youth arm of the NFL.

Mike is the publisher of the Well-Prepared Coach line of coaches’ practice plans and editable award certificates. He is the founder of the Fantasy Football Team Names Hall of Fame. Mike is married with four children.

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